TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer likes what he’s seen from his team following Alabama’s first week of preseason camp. The Crimson Tide returned to the practice field Sunday for the fourth of 20 preseason workouts leading up to game week of the season opener against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.
Following Sunday’s practice, DeBoer spoke with reporters for roughly 17 minutes, providing updates on Kadyn Proctor, Jalen Milroe and Zabien Brown among other things. Here’s a full transcript of what the head coach had to say.
Opening statement
"Good morning. Just before I make comments on the team I do want to send along thoughts and prayers. Terrence Howard, who was with us and transferred on to North Carolina Central. He did pass away and he’s got some guys that are here on this team that are close to him and are also thinking about him but I just want to send prayers and thoughts up to his family and I don’t have really any details on that. I really don’t know anything more.
"As far as the team, great practice out there. This was number four. Just challenged the guys after the first practice that when we had a day off like what we had on Friday that we could come out and really start fast and we did that yesterday. Just not thinking ahead, again tomorrow’s a day where we don’t practice but we obviously have other activities going on, things like that, that we come out and they gave everything. They had great energy start to finish. Still putting in some extra work.
"The position groups and the leaders stepping up and they’re really focused. It doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. It’s not going to be that way, but the energy’s good and we can get a lot better when they put forth the focus and the energy and all that like they did today. I’m very pleased with where we’re at after four practices. I feel like we’ve used every practice to get better and it shows up. Now they get to grab some food, take care of their bodies and we’ll have some great meetings this afternoon and this evening and so forth.
So, questions?"
On which position group has looked the best
"You know, you talk about the start, you’re kind of looking at where you’re at now and I thought, the thing that jumps out to me, I thought the D-Line did a nice job today. I thought the D-Line did a nice job. Very active early on, with the schemes we were putting in a couple runs where there were some nice creases, offensive line, credit them, but quickly adapted, adjusted the last three-quarters, eighty-percent of the practice I thought just did a good job against the run and continued to do a good job putting pressure on the quarterback consistently.
"They’re just around and making the quarterback back there have to move around and have to make some plays. So I think that position group’s been the most consistent and I like where they’re at.
On Kadyn Proctor working with the first unit
"Well, we’re just rotating some guys. So I know you guys aren’t seeing all the reps and everything. Just rotating, especially at tackle. The three interior guys have been pretty consistent with the ones, but just working Pritchett, Formby and Proctor around. Again, you just saw the lineup maybe for a couple snaps while we’re going through drill work. They’ve all been getting their chance and all been continuing to get better and we’ve got plenty of time here but that chemistry for that unit’s going to be critical."
On Richard Young
"He’s consistent. That word’s come up a couple times already here in our interview, but I think that’s a good word for him. Consistent. He’s taken that step from this spring, learning the offense, he’s out there getting lined up, doing his job, doing it at a high level, and doing it over and over again. He’s got an explosive to him. He’s really more physical as the spring went on and I think he’s really picked up from where he left off at the end of spring ball. I’'m thinking back to the last three, four or five practices, including the spring game and he kind of rose to the occasion. He’s continued to just be steady, that’s what I love about him, that’s what I love about the whole position group."
On what he’s learned through four practices
"That they got a lot of want to. Because the first day there’s going to be energy. I spoke with you. The second day is another follow up, it’s still early. Day three you get the pads on for the first time and now ok, now they’re into that routine and that rhythm and that rhythm can become complacent and these guys are definitely not doing that and they’re having fun doing what they do out there on the field every day. They enjoy being around each other. They’re obviously out for themselves and are wanting to do things individually and have that success, but ultimately you can really feel that they care about their teammates and I like the direction our team is going."
On Jalen Milroe’s confidence
"Yeah, I thought yesterday and today took the best steps I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The way he’s intentional about coming out. Even not just what you say, but how you do things. What your body language is and he gets that. That’s important, but he’s actually just really leading that way and then it leads to really him playing well and the other guys following suit so today he came out today again and really today threw the deep ball, probably as well as I’ve seen him throw. That’s a lot of just guys and the timing and all that and his rhythm coming into play.
"Feeling more comfortable there. So some big plays that were made out there. The defense made a couple big ones too, but he’s really done a nice job, raising his game, asking more out of himself. I’m pushing him, I know Coach Sheridan is too every day, just like those details, man be on it. He’s holding himself to a high standard, it’s not just all talk."
On the other quarterbacks
“We’ve been rotating a lot of the other guys in with the twos. They’re all getting three and four reps, too. Ty’s pretty much taken twos, and then the other guys just take a couple reps away from him at different times.
“Again, I think just like Richard [Young] earlier, they’ve really taken that step over the summer, especially the guys that didn’t know the offense. Having more reps of it in the summer, more film, another round of install— they really are now getting it figured out and know what we’re looking for. And then Austin had a head start on everyone. He’s continued to progress. I think his movement and just throwing is where I’d hoped it would be, too. That whole group is just really in a good spot. And they’re cheering for each other and competing at the same time.”
On Parker Brailsford as a leader
“He knows the offense, so there’s a lot of people looking to him to come up with a solution on where it all starts. He’s pointing out the linebacker that they’re blocking to, or the protection that’s going to be set. He’s confident that way, and those guys feel that.
“And then it’s really cool seeing a guy like Book who just eats, sleeps and breathes this program and wants nothing but for it to be great. And him just rubbing off as Parker shows him and helps him, he helps him back. It’s fun seeing the pride that that unit is developing. Just walking into here just now and walking by them and some extra things that they’re doing, player-led, just because they don’t want to just get it right, they want to be great at it.”
On his offensive design/moving parts
“We do a lot of that. We’ve got to make sure we can play fast and that it’s not complicated for us. So the base plays and as many different wrinkles and just different pictures we can run our base stuff out of is just going to make it where the defense has to talk, adjust. If we can help the guys gain one step by making the defense have to think about the shift and motion that just happened and the communication that goes with it— that’s only going to help them. We’ve done a lot of it here the first four practices, much more than we did in the spring just because, again, they’re getting the install. They’re getting more comfortable. They’re trusting that we’re going to get them into certain spots with certain plays and concepts. They get to those spots, and they’re confident in themselves and the other guys around them. So I like where we’re at with all the moving parts. It’s no secret. We’ve done it for many years, so we’re not talking about anything that no one knows about.”
On how a complicated offense helps prepare the defense in practice
“I guess that’s something I’ve always taken a lot of pride in as we build a team is that as the offense gets better at their piece of that, we really are I think preparing our defense for… you can’t say everything, but a lot of what they’re going to see throughout the season. It’s a team game, and the shifts, the motions, the change of tempos, the formation alignments and the things we do that just cause problems for defensive coordinators and keep them up at night— we’re doing that at practice. And so our defense is sorting through those things with our players, and at some point in the season when they see that, there will hopefully be that recall that they’re getting here in fall camp.”
On Zabien Brown wearing a cast during practice
“He’s just slowed up here a couple days, but he’ll be back fine, middle of next week for sure. But he’s still out there practicing, getting some reps in.
“He just doesn’t feel like a freshman out there. He does not. We felt that way this spring, and he just followed that up with another big jump like you really would expect. He’s just out there, and I don’t think of him as young or anything like that. I think of him as a guy that’s just fitting into the defense, and I’m proud of the way he approaches it. He doesn’t take anything for granted. He works his tail off. He’s up there with Coach Mo non-stop, and he’s just a fun guy to have around each and every day in the program. I have a lot of trust in him already.”
On if this is the most advanced group of freshmen he’s coached
“Well there’s a lot of guys that are in spots like that. Like Jaylen Mbakwe’s doing a good job. I feel like he’s really taken a big step at corner as well. They’re being thrown in there, and so naturally they’re excited about it, which really keeps them engaged. And then they’re also getting that opportunity. They’re great athletes, and it’s just a matter of feeling a part of it, and they’re getting their opportunities. Our coaches aren’t shy about throwing them in. Ryan [Williams] did another nice job today with a couple plays he made.”
On the tight ends and their role in the offense
“They’re critical. Really critical. One tight end, two tight ends, they give us extra gaps in the run game, they can help us in protection, they’re guys that can stretch the field and make some big plays that way. They have to know the whole offense. They have to know the protections, the routes, the run-blocking schemes. They’re all really smart guys that have caught on quickly. All the moving pieces we want to do with them, we haven’t held back at all. It’s a critical piece of our offense. It always has been, going back 20-plus years. Having that guy that doesn’t just control the middle of the field, but can get vertical, stress you to the sidelines, so both a vertical and horizontal stretch. Really important, not just in our run game but in our pass game.”
On his biggest concern so far
“It’s going to be the same things you had going in. There’s nothing new. I feel like we’re actually doing a pretty good job with the areas that we would maybe feel like we’re, not behind in, but just young and vulnerable, maybe. A lot of it has been said. Our defensive backs, you guys bring up the questions, too. Those guys are just rising up. We’re developing some good, young depth, and they’re going out there and competing and making plays. Like we talked about with Zabien and ‘Bak, there’s a whole group of guys out there, we just feel like they’re sophomores. I won’t say juniors or seniors yet, but they’re mature beyond the amount of reps they’ve had the chance to play through four practices.
On distributing the ball to all of Alabama’s receivers
“That’s Shep’s [wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard] problem. (laughs)
“No, he’s done a great job. In our system, we’re able to find roles. You can’t have tendencies that are so obvious for the opponent based on the personnel you have in the game, but every guy is feeling like they have chances and opportunities to go out there and show what they can do. We have some different skillsets that each guy brings to the table, so utilizing those and also just bringing the rest of whatever those guys have that can continued to be developed. Shep’s the best of the best when it comes to that. Our guys are grinding, they’re attacking it, they’re making some great plays out there, and I can tell they enjoy being out there as part of this system and are eager to continue to learn and improve.”
On the group of edge rushers
“It feels, to me, when we put a different guy in, the same mindset, ability — I can’t say they’re all the same, because there’s differences between some of them — but the results are very similar. It’s a competition, so they’re all going extremely hard. Felt like today was a good time to show, with some of the schemes, running-wise, they’re physical. They’ve shown the ability to consistently pass rush off the edge. We have strength in numbers. You have to have your highlighted guys, and I think as time goes on and they continue to develop, we’ll have some of those that really become more of the stars. Right now, they’re all in a really good spot competing, attacking. I don’t really feel like there are missed assignments ever, because they know when they get that rep, they have to execute and do their job.”
On what he’s seen from Graham Nicholson
“He’s been really consistent. Honestly, all of our kickers have, but specifically with Graham, I stand behind the kicker, and I try to make every kick. There might be one I miss here and there, but that ball flight is what you’re looking for. I like his mindset. He’s a very confident guy. I don’t really know how he’s going to respond when he misses one. Maybe if, right? He’s great to have with us. The team has really accepted him in. I think he feels a part of it. You can’t help but look at what he’s done in the past and already know, man, this guy is really good. You can see why each and every day. He has a good process about him. We’re glad he’s here.
“ [James] Burnip, between him and Kneeland Hibbett, and Conor has done a good job, too, kicking this camp. I really feel like our specialists are going to be as good as any across the country.
